The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-03-05

y. O States
The columns Of an exchange ct re-
cent date contains an article descrlp-
tive of a San francesca Mattress faeiory,
and the statement Is aptiy made ID
relation thereto that the business IS
'condueted upon . plan admiralty
adapted to the purpose Of propagating
disease 10y Uholesaig. "
sIu q rough shed were two machlnes
technically known as teasers. THESE
implsments were revolving at nigh
rate Of speed. Sharp teeth of iron
werc tearing piles Of the most filthY
and disgusting remnants Of old clothes
and other wooden articles into siIreds,
until the entire fabrics were reduced
to fine filaueuts. This material is
known as pateut wool. The tirSi
handling which the remnant OF gar
ments receive is by the Chinese rag
pickers. who convey them into China
town and there pick ont the cotton
and linen fabrics from the wooden
ones. The former find their ultimate
designation at the paper mills, while
the latter are used by mattress and
bed comforter makers after being
leased by machinery. Without being
iisinfected, OF in any way deodOrized,
these materials are liable. from tine
uses they arc put to, to UecDme a
source whereby many valuable lives
NAV be lost
Il is q fact not generally realized m
this CITY that the comfortable, clean
and healthy moss mattresses used by
our people are almost unknown in the
North and West, and That the ''patent
wool" referred to in the article above
quoted from, is the prlnciPa material
there employed in the manufacture OF
bedding
That the unciean. disease,ladcn stuff
forms q temporarily necessary article
Of commerce there can be nc doubt,
as a substitute suitable for the purpose
cannot be had in the North for any
thing like an approximate price.
But in this very fact lies lesson 10
large class OF people in this section
OF the country that could readily be
turned 10 good account if the class
referred TO would but exercise little
energy
The great swamp lands Of Louisiana
and Mississippi and, il fact, Of all
the Southern States, bear a perfect
pauopiv Of Spanish moss that is rarely.
disturbed bv the natives, and then
only for the punUse Of supplying some
immediate requirement, and is looked
upon by Northern visitors as useful
10 the extent Of a handful being a
pretty souvenir o. summers idling.
The moss. properly decorticated and
"pIcked,' finds ready market m this
city, where It Is used by mattress and
cabinet makers to the virtual exClu-
sion Of all other articles Of the same
character and, If the efforts 10 intro
duce il in other sections were earn
estiv made, it would be but a snort
time ere large and steady shipments
would be sought for 10y interior buyers
With the limited demand, covering
the consumption II New Orleans that
now exists, prices range from II to 50
cents per pound for the imperiectIy
cured article, and what little has reach
ed Northern cities has brought a re-
/ turn Of from to cents.
There are untold millions Of pounds
Of moss IN our swamps, and it is stead
ilv accommodating, vet no Intelligent
effort has been made 10 turn it to &C
count. SeveFaI parties have gathered
it in small way with profit, but for
every pound that is gathered there are
thousands Of pounds undisturbed on
the trees
1t Is certainly strange circum-
stance that q valuable natural produc-
ton, Of vast proportions and at our
very doors, should be So Systematically
neglected, and we trust that the op-
/ pOrtuniLy offered, and that almost
without the cost of a dollar, will sOon
be grasped aud the business therein
embraced SO intelligentIy conducted
as to make the mUss trade Of New
Orleans one Of the leading features Of
/ her future business life